The 4Cs of Diamonds
Cut, colour, clarity, carat — the four measures every grading laboratory uses to describe a diamond, mined or grown. Learn what each one actually changes on the hand, and where your budget works hardest.
Cut — the one that makes it sparkle
Cut is not shape; it is proportion — how precisely the facets return light to your eye. It is the single biggest driver of beauty, and the last place to save money. Grades run Excellent → Very Good → Good → Fair → Poor.
Our position: we set Excellent-cut rounds and the equivalent top tier in fancy shapes, because a superb cut hides colour, disguises minor inclusions, and makes a stone face up larger than its weight.
Colour — graded by its absence
The scale runs D (icy colourless) to Z (visibly warm). The eye stops seeing differences long before the chart does:
| D–F | Colourless — laboratory distinctions, invisible on the hand |
|---|---|
| G–J | Near-colourless — reads white once set, especially in white gold |
| K–M | Faint warmth — flattering in yellow and rose gold settings |
In yellow or rose gold, paying for D–F is usually paying for a letter, not a look.
Clarity — what a loupe finds
Internal characteristics ("inclusions") graded from FL (flawless) through IF, VVS1–2, VS1–2, SI1–2 to I1–3. The magic phrase is eye-clean: no inclusions visible to the naked eye at normal distance. VS1–VS2 stones are reliably eye-clean; well-chosen SI1 stones often are too, at a meaningful saving.
Carat — weight, not size
Carat measures mass (0.2 g). Two stones of equal weight can look different sizes depending on cut depth and shape — elongated shapes like oval spread larger per carat than rounds. See the carat size guide for millimetre realities.
How to read a grading report
Every Ghavelli centre stone ships with its independent report (IGI or GIA). Check four lines first: cut grade, colour, clarity, measurements. The plot diagram maps each inclusion; the laser inscription number on the girdle ties the stone to its certificate for life.
Spending the budget wisely
- Fix cut at the top tier. Non-negotiable.
- Drop colour to G–I (white metals) or I–K (warm metals).
- Choose VS2 / SI1 clarity, confirmed eye-clean.
- Put everything saved into carat — or keep it.
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